Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax-related charges. Biden's lawyer informed the court of his decision to change his plea moments before jury selection was set to begin.
According to CNN, Biden wanted to use what is known as an "Alford plea," in which he would acknowledge there is enough evidence to convict him and accept the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi. The arrangement would allow Biden to maintain his innocence and still be punished by the court for failing to pay taxes and filing false tax returns.
However, after prosecutors and Scarsi expressed opposition about agreeing to the Alford plea, Biden's lawyers changed course and said he would plead guilty to the charges.
"Mr. Biden is prepared to proceed today and finish this," Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, told the judge.
Biden was charged by special counsel David Weiss with three felonies and six misdemeanors for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes. He was also accused of filing tax returns with fraudulent business deductions. Biden's decision to plead guilty avoids a potentially embarrassing trial in which the prosecution had more than two dozen witnesses scheduled to testify about Biden's drug use and his extravagant spending habits.